Agricultural Machinery Maintenance: Preventing Shop Accidents

Equipment
maintenance and repair is necessary to avoid down time and
to minimize major repairs. However, maintaining and repairing
machines can lead to serious injury. Workers should be trained
in shop safety and have the proper equipment to minimize or
even eliminate the impact of shop accidents.

Causes of Injuries
When Repairing Machines

Improper
Lifting - By lifting incorrectly or lifting items that are
too heavy or awkward causes back injury that results in
lost work time or even permanent disability.

Poorly
Maintained Tools -Using tools, such as chisels with mushroomed
heads, could result in a piece of metal flinging off and
hitting a bystander or the worker. The ragged edge of the
tool also can cut workers.

Improper
Hydraulic System Maintenance -Hydraulic systems can produce
pressures of over 2,000 pounds per square inch. Pinhole
leaks in a hydraulic system under this pressure can easily
penetrate skin. Always use a piece of paper or cardboard
to locate leaks along hydraulic lines.

Using
the Wrong Tool for the Job -Sometimes we are tempted to
use a wrench as a hammer, but the wrench can glance off
the object and cause serious injury.

Unsafe
Repair in Field -Many accidents occur when repairing machines
in the field without stabilizing them so that the machine
will not roll or fall and crush the worker.

Dropping
Heavy or Sharp Objects- Heavy or sharp objects that are
dropped on hands, feet, head, or other parts of the body
can cut, smash, or crush. The worker who fails to wear gloves,
hard hats, steel-toed shoes, or other protective gear often
suffers the worst injuries.

No
Safety Shields -Shop equipment and tools should have the
proper shielding in place, such as grinding wheels with
the protective aids. Fragments of the wheel or tool being
ground can fly off and injure someone.

Bad
Wiring-Substandard or obsolete wiring in the shop can cause
severe electrical shock and even death. The old two-wire
outlet and older power tools do not provide a ground, thus
exposing the worker to the potential of an electrical shock.

Unsafe
Work Areas and Habits -Examples of unsafe conditions are
such things as incorrect use of a ladder, not blocking hydraulically-supported
machinery when working on it, working in an elevated position
without proper footing, not using the right supports or
safety equipment, and cluttered work areas.

Personal
Protective Equipment - Not wearing the necessary protective
equipment and clothing for the job results in many injuries
each year. Protection may be needed for eyes, ears, head,
feet, hands, and the body for certain jobs. Loose, dangling
clothing can become entangled in machinery causing severe
injury and even death.

Repairing
Machinery While Running -Trying to unclog a machine while
it is running, tightening a bolt, or doing other repairs
is an accident waiting to happen. Serious or even fatal
injuries may result in you being crushed, cut, or pulled
into machinery at shear points, crush points, pinch points,
wrap points, and pull-in points of the machine. Servicing
springs is also dangerous because of the stored energy in
springs.

Poorly
Maintained Work Area -Leaving oil or other fluids or debris
on the floors and work benches can cause falls.

Prevention of Injuries
When Repairing Machines

Develop
safe work areas, good habits, and establish good housekeeping
practices.

Train
workers and family members and encourage safe work habits.

Maintain
machinery properly and promptly when repairs are needed.
This eliminates down time and worker exposure to hazards
of repairing machines. Read operating and repair manuals
and keep them handy. Study manuals to know how to perform
the task at hand, and train your workers to study them also.

Slow
down and take time to think. Visualize what steps need to
be taken. Do not rush a job! Accidents happen when the workers
hurry to get a machine back into production and they do
not take the time to be safe.

Turn
off the machine when working on it. Prevent others from
accidentally starting the machine by removing the keys or
the battery cable. Lock the brakes and stabilize the machine
as best you can by using blocks in conjunction with the
machine's own safety devices. Do not use a jack alone to
stabilize a raised machine! If the work can't be done without
the proper support, do not work on the machine until you
can properly support it.

Keep
shields and guards in place. Replace them when they are
damaged or missing. Remember to put back guards and shields
that were removed for repairs.

Wear
proper clothing and protective gear. Do not wear loose,
dangling clothes that can become entangled in moving parts.
Wear protection appropriate to the job such as gloves, eye
protection, ear protection, hard hats, and steel-toed shoes.
Wear welding masks and goggles, gloves, and leather aprons
when welding. If working with chemicals, wear the protective
equipment specified by the label.

Use
ladders properly. Firmly place the ladder on the ground
with a distance away from the wall no more than 1 foot for
every 4 feet of height. Do not use metal ladders near power
lines or other areas that may cause electrical shock.

Lift
objects correctly. An injured back means lost work, pain,
and/or disability. Lifting subjects the back to its greatest
stress. Train your workers to lift properly. Keep the back
straight while using the legs to lift the object. If heavy
objects are to be lifted, provide back supports for workers.
Better yet-use mechanical lifting devices.

Have
a hazard-free shop. A well-lit, clean work bench and work
area, along with a regular cleaning schedule of the shop
area, will go a long way in eliminating hazards. If your
shop doesn't have proper wiring, install an up-to-date electrical
system in the shop including a grounded 120 volt three-
wire outlet system with a ground fault circuit interrupter
available for outdoor use or in areas that may be wet.

When
working on electrically powered equipment, lock out the
control box to prevent someone from accidentally turning
on the equipment while some-one is working on it.

REMEMBER:
IF SAFETY IS NOT PRACTICED IT WON'T BE USED. SAFETY
DOES NOT COST; IT PAYS!

Isolate
hazardous work areas. Have a proper storage area for paints,
pesticides and oily rags. A separate area is needed for
welding with a fan to vent gases from welding. Keep compressed
gas welding cylinders in a safe area and secured so that
no one can accidentally knock cylinders over and accidentally
break off the valves, which could cause an explosion. Keep
protective clothing and gear on hand for all operations.
Know where it is and how much you have!

Be
aware of common safety hazards. Look around and spot potential
accidents and eliminate the hazards as much as possible.
Take the time to look where you are going: not only ahead,
but behind, to the side and above. Remove a potential hazard.
It is much cheaper to take a few extra minutes and remove
a hazard than to pay for the hospital bills or worker's
compensation if a worker is hurt on the job.

A Pacific
Northwest Extension Publication

Idaho
. Oregon . Washington

Written
by Tom Karsky, University of Idaho, and A. K. Jaussi, former
graduate assistant, Washington State University. For more
information about farm safety, please contact: Tom Karsky,
Extension Farm Safety Specialist, Department of Biological
and Agricultural Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow,
ID 83844-0904, phone 208/885-7627, fax 208/885-7908, email
(tkarsky@uidaho.edu).
Myron Shenk, Integrated Plant Protection Center, Oregon State
University, 2040 Cordley Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331-2915, phone
541/737-6274, fax 541/737-3080, email (shenkm@bcc.orst.edu).
Bill Symons, Extension Safety Specialist, Biological Systems
Engineering Department, Washington State University, 204 L.
J. Smith Hall, Pullman, WA 99164-6120, phone 509/335-2902,
fax 509/335-2722, email (symons@mail.wsu.edu).
This series is supported, in part, by funds provided by the
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (PNASH),
Department of Environmental Health, Box 357234, University
of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-7234 (phone: 800/330-0827,
email: pnash@u.washington.edu).
PNASH is funded by CDC/NIOSH Award #U07/CCU012926-02. Published
and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of
May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the University of Idaho Cooperative
Extension System, the Oregon State University Extension Service,
Washington State University Cooperative Extension, and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. The three participating
Extension services provide equal opportunity in education
and employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national
origin, gender, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam-era
veteran as required by state and federal laws.

The
University of Idaho Cooperative Extension System, Oregon State
University Extension Service, and Washington State University
Cooperative Extension are Equal Opportunity Employers. Published
December 1998 Preventing Shop Accidents Farm Safety Series
PNW 512

Disclaimer and Reproduction Information: Information in
NASD does not represent NIOSH policy. Information included in
NASD appears by permission of the author and/or copyright holder.
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